How can I let my self screw this up??

hello everyone 

I am hoping admitting my problem will help me fix it before it is too late

april is my 1 year anniversary and to date I have lost 120lbs and only have 37 to get to my goal weight. I am happier with my looks then I think I have ever been

So why oh why would I let myself cheat and Binge eat and consume more calories then I am allowed. How am I letting my food addiction win!!!! 

Any suggestions or advice from those who have made it past the year mark???

i can't go on like this!!!!!!

thanks in advance 

Hello. I am just about approachng 6 weeks out so I don't have any advice for you other than to say I feel for you and am sending big hugs!!! 

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling (and congrats on the weight loss btw). Have you called your centre and spoken to dietitian or behaviourist for help? I can appreciate not wanting to call as you may be afraid of being chastised for mis-steps...but they are there to help.

You've taken a big first step asking for help. I can't speak from experience as my surgery is tomorrow but I've been reading and re-reading all the materials in preparation for the big day...it repeatedly mentions contacting your centre should you have questions or require help at any stage of the process.

I wish you all the best...this isn't easy.

Tammy :)

What we don't understand is the first year it is like the honeymoon phase once we pass that phase our hunger does come back and for some people they can control the craving/head telling them its okay to eat but for others we can not and need some help. Another thing we do no realize is some of the issues that made us over eat in the first place may still be there and we have not dealt with them and we need to.

I totally understand how you feel i am 2 years out and around 6 months ago I started having issues eating stuff I should not be eating and have gained 20 pounds. Once I started eating those bad carbs and sweets it is so hard to stop because my body/head wants them.

Currently I am waiting to get into cognitive behaviour therapy with my centre and I am reading and thinking of going to OA for help.

The best advise I can give is to get back to tracking, measuring, eat protein because it fills you up as other carb/sweet things you can eat more of, keep moving and call your centre for help. 

Sometimes I think people set themselves "goal weights" that are unrealistic for their bodies/heads.  You indicate you are still more than 30lbs. from your goal weight.  What about your centers goal...are you at that weight?  If you look at the research none of the surgries are meant to deal with 100% excessive weight.

I know for myself back in my weigh****chers days that I would push myself to the middle of my BMI but could never keep it there & gain, then gain more.  Part of my own story.  This time I'm at the top end & just over the normal range of my BMI but I feel healthy and in total control of my eating.  I can allow "treats" but can moderate everything using the rules.  I'm not afraid of the scale but use it as a weekly tool not a daily chain.

This seems to be working for me as my weight has been stable for more than a year now.  I don't want to get ****y but need to relax and stop obsessing, let my body find my balanced set point.

They did surgery on our stomachs, not our brains. Losing weight and keeping it off, even with weight loss surgery is hard work. You have to believe you are worth the effort. If not, you will gain it all back. Forgive yourself for the slip and move forward from here. If you cannot do that, perhaps you should talk to a therapist.

Find out what programs your centre has to help you. All centre have something if only the psychologists. Go back and work with them on your eating issues. It is so true about them operating on our stomach not our brains. I have spent the last year working on my eating issues. With the help of my centre I feel more confident to maintain my weight

I am 1 1/2 years out and I have found for me that I cannot do sugar or white flour at all.  When I eat those things, then I am forever craving them. Once I stopped eating ALL sugar and white flour (chocolate, ice cream, sweets,bread, buns, bagels, etc.) then I found that after 2 weeks, I did not CRAVE them anymore and the weight came off again. I think this is the philosophy in OA (Overeaters Anonymous)too but I'm not sure. Anyway, for what it's worth, this worked for me.  I just stick to meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy. Hope this helps. Take good care.

The good thing is you've caught it and are motivated to do something about it before getting back up to your start weight. You sound very discouraged and, quite frankly, worried. This is also good in it's own way - perhaps those feelings will help you get the motivation going again.

Carbs and cravings for said carbs are a real ***** I have found that eating carbs causes increased cravings for them and when too many of them have snuck back into my menu the only way to rid myself of the cravings is to cut them out completely (as possible) for a while. The fewer I eat, the less I crave. It's hard and you're going to have to "white knuckle it" for a bit, but it can be done.

I can only suggest what has worked for ME since my RNY surgery 9 years ago (and for reference, my start weight was 290 pounds and today I weigh 120 pounds and continue to easily maintain a 170 pound loss after all these years):

1. Make a menu plan each and every day, write it down, and stick to it. No bites, nibbles, tastes, etc.

2. Divide your day into 6 small "meals" - breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack - to avoid feeling "hungry" in between.

3. Protein first, always. At least 75g per day.

4. Limit carbs (even complex ones) to between 30-40g per day. NO refined sugar or "white carbs" at all.

5. To make all of this easier and more organized, use a tool like myfitnesspal.com that will record and track your nutrients for you. You will also have a very clear picture of what you're putting into your mouth.

6. Participate in a "what are you eating today" thread for accountability and support.

I do a lot of prep work (cutting up vegetables, cooking meats to be used in a few meals, cooking "go to" snacks like muffin tin meatloaves or muffin tin crustless quiches, etc.). Not only does it save me time in my busy day, it prevents me from standing in front of my open fridge staring like a deer in headlights trying to decide what to eat. ;)

If you would like some WLS friendly recipe ideas, feel free to check out the Ontario Recipes forum (link in my signature).

If you are really finding it hard to control, you may want to consider talking with a therapist and using some cognitive behaviour therapy to get to the root of your eating behaviours.

Good luck :)

Hello!

I had my RNY surgery July 22 2011. My starting weight was 270 lbs today I weight 145 lbs.

Something the weight management clinics do not seem to touch on is what got us to be overweight in the first place. Sure at the initial intake meetings they say we have eating issues such as bulimia, binge eating, compulsive eating disorder all of us on this forum have some kind of eating disorder.

From the time we all sign on the dotted line, that marvellous consent form that leads us down the long halls toward the operating room no one seems to counsel us about our eating disorders both pre op and post op long term. Its one thing to have this life altering surgery but there is more to it than a surgery. Once the "honey moon period" is over we continue to need help so that people like yourself are not asking were you are going wrong. Please I don't believe you are going wrong or doing anything wrong, I think you just need to get pointed back in the right direction. I would strongly suggest calling your weight management clinic and see the nurse and dietitian for a refresher and perhaps the behaviourist.  I think this system is failing us by not offering long term help. A call from the clinic each month or every six months even asking if we are ok, do we need a follow-up appointment instead of leaving it up to us because once the shame factor sets in its really hard for us to make that call.

I have a friend that had wls 6 years ago that is so ashamed because she wasn't successful (her words) she would not return to the weight management clinic here in Ottawa because she felt like her surgeon would judge her even though she had lost more than 100lbs. This is so messed up. 

Anyway I know I went off completely in the wrong direction at some points but Karen is bang on. if after following her advise I would make the call to your weight management clinic and call until they see you. In fact, why not do it anyway. Its an amazing feeling hearing it from them what a fantastic job you've done.  

You are a winner in my eyes!

hugs

Ann